Wednesday, March 21, 2012

Meekness

Jennafer Young is a junior from Minnesota majoring in IPHS and psychology. She loves the outdoors, kids, laughter, and chapel!

Matthew 5:5 says, “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.” What in the world does it mean to be meek? In the online Merriam-Webster dictionary, the word meek is defined in one case as “deficient in spirit and courage; submissive.” Although our culture tends to associate “meek” with “weak,” that is NOT how the Bible uses the word meek!

In the Bible (and in old English), the word meek was used to describe someone who was completely strong, powerful, courageous, and passionate—but also completely under the control of someone else. In the case of Christians, that “someone else” should be God. When Jesus tells us that the meek are blessed, He is not recommending we become spineless doormats who never stand for anything. On the contrary, He is commanding us to take all the strength we can muster—every gift, talent, ability, and passion we have—and to give it all to God to be used and channeled as He desires.

The Bible gives many great examples of meekness: Moses, David, Daniel, Steven, Paul. But the greatest example of meekness is Jesus. HE is the perfect example of strength, power, and character under control. At His arrest (Matthew 26), Jesus reminds His disciples that He could call down 12 legions of angels to save Himself – that’s power. But He refuses to do that because it would not fulfill the Father’s will – that’s control, meekness.

And look at Jesus’ heartfelt prayer in the garden of Gethsemane just before this. He drains Himself in prayer saying, “Daddy please! If there is ANY other way for us to save mankind besides Me becoming SIN, then please let this cup pass from Me! I don’t want to do it. But not My will, but Yours and only Yours be done.” Extreme total meekness. Extreme total power. Extreme total Godhood. Extreme total surrender of His own well-deserved rights.

This is meekness, and this is what Jesus calls blessed.

To Ponder…

What are your strengths? Gifts? Talents? How can you use them absolutely to the max – but only for the glory of God?

What do you think are your “rights”? What do you deserve? Are you willing to sacrifice these in order to live the life God calls you to?

What are your fears or worries? Meekness requires also surrendering these to God and accepting the strength He offers in return.